Chapter 15. The Queen’s Move

Three days had passed since the engagement party—since Margherita had vanished without a trace.

No ransom.

No message.

No claim of responsibility.

Nothing.

Simona paced across her study, the click of her heels echoing off the floor. Her nerves were fraying. She had expected something—a demand, a clue, a sign. Instead, the silence mocked her.

Could it be Maurizio?

At first, it made sense. The bastard might have staged the girl’s abduction himself, a power play to humiliate her. But then she remembered his fury when his men stormed into her house. That rage wasn’t feigned. He was just as blind as she was.

She rubbed her temples, staring down at the mess of papers and reports spread across her desk. She’d pulled every file she could find—phone logs, credit card statements, surveillance summaries—even the old ones from before she’d dragged Margherita home.

Maybe the girl had planned this. Maybe she had help.

But no. Simona had